Shut Up, This Is Serious

High school seniors and best friends Belén and Leti, the daughters of working-class Mexican immigrants, live in Oakland, Calif. Tenacious and hardworking Leti dreams of attending UC Berkeley, but when she finds out she’s pregnant by her secret boyfriend Quentin, things get complicated. Leti fears the reaction of her racist parents, who don’t know that she’s dating a Black classmate. Belén, meanwhile, must navigate an unstable home life after her father abandons the family, leaving them in a precarious financial situation, while also contending with the fact that she might fail out of high school. As Leti and Belén confront their daunting circumstances, Belén reckons with the knowledge that “I know it isn’t even all my fault—but somehow, it’s all my responsibility to fix it,” in this stirring novel about dysfunctional family dynamics, intergenerational trauma, and toxic parenting. Itxa steadfastly approaches sensitive topics such as abuse, anxiety, depression, teen pregnancy, racism, and sex work via compassionately wrought prose. Belén and Leti’s affectionate friendship provides levity to the high-stress situations, and a charismatic supporting cast and sharp dialogue propel this unforgettable debut. Ages 14–up. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Jan.)